|
|
|
|
Informers Struggle to Survive Bharat Kukreti, Mumbai 1985: A Narcotics Control Bureau team confiscates 4,500 kg drugs from a field in Talasre village, near Mumbai, after receiving a tip-off from an informer. 1993: A team from the Department of Foreign Exchange Regulation Act apprehends Vasant Kawade and recovers illegal currency worth Rs 2.25 crore, after being tipped-off by sources. 1994: Bandra, Mumbai. The customs officials intercept a car and seize 136 gold bars worth Rs 76 lakh. An informer provided the information. 1996: Juhu, Mumbai. A Mumbai Police officer guns down two gangsters of the Chhota Rajan gang. Though this is his first encounter, he makes a name as an encounter specialist. The officer was alerted by an informer. The guns have fallen silent in Mumbai. Well, almost. The bhai-log have shifted base. Their henchmen have been eliminated. The opening up of the economy has resulted in a substantial decrease of smuggling of prized items. Mumbai, they say, has become a safe place. And, as the law enforcement agencies bask in their new-found glory, their informers — a low profile sect responsible for their successes — is readying to say goodbye. In fact, many veterans, some of the best in the trade, have already bid adieu to the profession. The informers, who tip-off officials of the Mumbai Crime Branch, Customs, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and other government agencies, and whom the government owes crores of reward money, are now unsure of what the future holds for them. On one side, the reduction in organised crime and smuggling has resulted in decreasing the authorities’ dependence on their services. On the other, they do not have other avenues to make a living from. What has compounded their problems is that most departments have not paid them substantial amounts of money that they rightfully deserve as reward for providing information leading to confiscation of contraband goods and currency, and even elimination of some dreaded gangsters. The genesis of an informer lies in that odd disgruntled gang-member who started leaking information to the police to settle personal scores. Sometime in the late 70s, certain individuals became professional informers and got paid for passing information to the police. Their numbers increased when the VP Singh government increased the reward percentage for informers from 10 percent to 20 per cent of the value of the confiscated goods. This came as a major shot in the arm for the law enforcement agencies, as in the late 1980s and 90s, almost all major successes were based on information given by informers. But, the recent turn of events has disheartened the informers. The worst hit are those who provided information on illegal transactions of currency and high value items such as gold and diamonds to Foreign Exchange Maintenance Act (FEMA, earlier FERA), DRI and customs officials. The opening up of the economy, changes in the legal scenario, and a lull in the activities of leading underworld gangs led by Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan have all added to their woes. The crackdowns still continue, but with few successes. States a former Joint Commissioner of Air Intelligence Unit, Mumbai, “In the last few years, the number of cases that we cracked after being tipped-off by informers has gone down drastically. In many cases, the leads did not mature because of insufficient information, and there has also been a drop in the quality of information.” “With restrictions lifted on almost all commodities, there is not much scope for the informers to operate. The currency segment has suffered ever since FERA, a criminal law, was replaced by FEMA, a civil law. The absence of any major underworld gang’s involvement in smuggling also makes it more difficult for the informers to operate,” he reasons. However, his claim is countered by Suleman, an informer who has been in the business for 15 years. “I don’t want to tip-off the authorities anymore. What is the point in getting big consignments confiscated, when we have to wait for years for rewards? The smugglers are still active. The only difference is the consignments are smaller,” says Suleman. Suleman claims that the FEMA authorities owe him over Rs 70 lakh as reward money. “I went to Delhi and met FEMA officials asking them to give my reward money. I am even willing to given them a commission,” he adds. Michael is another veteran informer. He still informs the police, but has changed his modus operandi. “I used to pass information to customs, DRI, etc. Earlier, I was lucky to have worked with officers who backed me and got my reward money released in time. The situation has changed. We do not have such officers anymore. Therefore, I deal only with police officials,” Michael discloses.
However, Michael, says even this segment is not very lucrative, as the two major underworld gangs led by Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan are lying low. The other gangs led by Ejaz Lakdawala and Hemant Poojari do not boast big names that can fetch good rewards. “Besides, this is a very risky zone. If our identity is compromised, we will be eliminated,” he says. While some informers have moved with the times, Sadashiv, another veteran informer, who earned his first reward way back in 1985, still hopes to make money by feeding the police. Sadashiv, who has to collect over Rs 50 lakh reward money, still provides information to the police. “In some cases, the final judgement came as early as 2000, but I have yet to receive the reward money,” he laments. Meanwhile, the senior officials claim there is no conscious delay in the disbursement of rewards. KP Mishra, Customs Commissioner, Mumbai, says, “I do not know why the informers are complaining. We have to follow a procedure before the rewards are disbursed. My department is very prompt in clearing such rewards.” Citing departmental confidentiality, Mishra refused to part with details on reward disbursement in recent times. The number of cases in which rewards are pending in Customs, DRI and NCB may be small, but the figures are staggering in FEMA. As per departmental figures, FEMA had 14,000 pending cases by July 2003 end. The department did speed up adjudication (departmental procedure) after that, but about 6,000 cases are still pending.
If a party
is held at fault during adjudication, it can challenge the decision in the
Appellate Tribunal. If held guilty there too, it can appeal in the High
Court and further in the Supreme Court. The sheer number of pending cases is
a grim pointer to the total reward money that awaits disbursement. His counterpart from DRI, who cracked major cases between 1995 and 1998 resulting in seizures of over Rs 3 crore, agrees, “I owe my success to informers. This is why I ensure that my informers receive their dues as early as possible.” Blaming the tedious procedure that leads to the delay, a senior official says, “We do have a system of paying an interim reward of up to 50 percent of the value of the confiscated currency in cases that we deem are foolproof.” However, the interim rewards are of little solace to the informers whose lives are at stake. If the situation remains unchanged, the law enforcement agencies may end up losing one of their most important sources of information. ........................................................................................................................... |
|
© IndiaCrime.Com All Rights Reserved Contact : editor@indiacrime.com |
|
|